pedantry

Name: pedantry, English Word Data
Creator: Wiktionary
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

/ˈpɛd.ən.tɹi/

//ˈpɛd.ən.tɹi// noun

By PlainSpell Editorial Team · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) · analyzed May 6, 2026

The verdict

“pedantry” is an uncommon English word, ranked #67,721 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#67,721
frequency rank, English: 8
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - An excessive attention to detail or rules.

Key facts for pedantry
Property	Value
Headword	pedantry
Language	English
Part of speech	Noun
IPA	/ˈpɛd.ən.tɹi/
Letters	8
Frequency rank	#67,721
Misspellings tracked	0
Confusable pairs	0
Source	Wiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “pedantry” sits in English frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). pedantry lands here:

#67,721

#1#100#1K#10K#100K

← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for pedantry is 8 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈpɛd.ən.tɹi/. Corpus data places it at rank #67,721 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 3 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

No generated misspelling entries exist for pedantry in our index, which points to an orthography that plays by predictable English rules. Our dataset records no confusable match here, suggesting its spelling stands apart enough that readers rarely confuse it with something else.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Italian pedanteria, equivalent to pedant + -ry. Compare also French pédanterie. The correct English form is pedantry, spelled P-E-D-A-N-T-R-Y.

Definition

1
An excessive attention to detail or rules.
2
An excessive attention to detail or rules.
3
An overly ambitious display of learning.

Etymology

From Italian pedanteria, equivalent to pedant + -ry. Compare also French pédanterie.

Synonyms

pedanticalness pedanticness

This word in other languages

pedantería(Español)pédantisme(Français)Pedanterie(Deutsch)pedantismo(Português)

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "pedantry"?

"pedantry" is spelled P-E-D-A-N-T-R-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈpɛd.ən.tɹi/.

What does "pedantry" mean?

As a noun, "pedantry" means: An excessive attention to detail or rules.

How do you pronounce "pedantry"?

The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "pedantry" is /ˈpɛd.ən.tɹi/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.

What is the origin of the word "pedantry"?

From Italian pedanteria, equivalent to pedant + -ry. Compare also French pédanterie. See the full etymology section above for more details.

Is PlainSpell free to use?

Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Using “pedantry”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

The one correct English spelling is P-E-D-A-N-T-R-Y - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
Say it as /ˈpɛd.ən.tɹi/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words

Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.